Yeah, I know I'm posting this late, and yet it's strangely timely.
Enjoy.
Todd Gross
tag@cs.utexas.edu
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June 14, 1993
Dear Mr. Gross:
I can appreciate your strong feelings concerning President Clinton's
plans to life the corrent ban on homosexuals in the military.
President Clinton has announced that he would order the ban to be
lifted on July 15th. In the meantime, actions against gay personnel will
stop except in cases of improper conduct. This announcement came shortly
after an agreement was reached between the President, Senate Majority
Leader Mitchell, and Senator Nunn, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services
Committee, to temporarily hold off on lifting the ban. The six month
delay is designed to allow Congress, the Joint Chiefs, and the Administration
to iron out their differences on this issue.
At this time, no agreement has been announced. However, I have been
encouraged by Secretary of Defense Aspin's efforts to reach an agreement
between military officials and the gay community. Furthermore, I will be
interested in the findings of the House and Senate Armed Services
Committees' hearings on this subject. The Committees will consider
arguments for and against the change in policy and will look at how such
a change might be implemented. At the conclusion of these hearings, the
Committee may make recommendations to the Administration and to Congress
on what should be done. I want to make it clear that I do not think our
armed forces should discriminate on the basis of sexual preference. This
is the President's call, and basically, I think he is right.
Sincerely,
J J Pickle